Blogs from Australia, Oceania - page 8

Dear all, Well here we are! We gave back the van with no problems and spent a night in an airport motel. It was strange being in a bigger space and I missed the small space of the campervan. Ash suggested that to compensate I should shut myself in the bathroom or sit under the table! Anyway we didn't sleep great but got up and got our flight to Sydney. For the first time ever we arrived in the day and I was on the right side of the plane, coming in at the right angle to see the amazing sight of the opera house and Sydney harbour bridge. I was very excited, much to the dismay of the stuffy business man who was sat next to me! We got to our apartment which is right ... read more

The Msalato Kindergarten in Dodoma, Tanzania which we help with financial support has notified us that the rains required for this year's crops, March & April, did not arrive and so the crops have failed leaving most people reliant on what they can purchase from the merchants. As in most countries, including Australia, this leads to an increase in food prices and in the Dodoma region this has seen a trebling of prices for maize & rice. Our concern at the moment is for the 45 children who attend the kindergarten we support. Due to increase food prices parents make a choice, send the children to kindergarten or buy food for the family, of course the decision is clear. With the children not going to kindergarten they miss out on the daily "porridge' meal at the ... read more

Late in the afternoon the day we arrived at Bitter Springs we went for a walk down to the springs and the surrounding vegetation. The area is very lush and pretty. The springs themselves are small but have been set up with areas where you can view the bottom if you choose not to swim. Apparently there are turtles on the bottom. The most noticeable things about the area is that the vegetation has not been degenerated by the sheer number of people who overrun the Mataranka thermal area and it has no fruit bats, hence no stench. Personally we were put off by the amount of algae along the edges of the springs themselves. That did not deter anyone else but us. When we went through Mataranka in 1990 it was smelly but lush and ... read more

For the next 4 weeks we are heading first to Paris and then to Brittany. However, before we start this journey let's wind back the clock to 2011 and a conversation we had about our trip that year..... ......."how about we spend all four weeks in Spain. Would that be alright with me” Dianne asked. Alright?? -- it would be absolutely marvellous for me!!! however I was surprised that Dianne would give up her opportunity for two weeks in France. Dianne quickly corrected me on this point – no she was not giving up France, but rather postponing it from this time; our next trip would be totally French. ..... which brings us to here and now as we prepare to set off to redress the travel imbalance. For our two weeks in Paris we have ... read more